Ryan Neill finds specialized role as Bills’ long snapper

Friday

Jul 31, 2009 at 12:01 AMJul 31, 2009 at 1:52 AM

BILLS CAMP: Though Ryan Neill's role is a little different than he always intended, his dreams have come true. Thanks to a lot of hard work and commitment, Neill is in his third season with the Buffalo Bills.

Bryan Sullivan

When Ryan Neill was in kindergarten, he had a journal assignment to write about his future dreams.

He knew exactly what to put down: To play professional football.

Though his role is a little different than he always intended, his dreams have come true. Thanks to a lot of hard work and commitment, Neill is in his third season with the Buffalo Bills.

After entering the NFL as an undrafted defensive lineman out of Rutgers, Neill has found a niche. He has spent his first three seasons as the Bills’ long snapper. Neill is still surprised that specialized skill has paved his path to the NFL.

“I came into the NFL as a defensive lineman, then (special teams coach Bobby April) showed me the value of a long snapper,” Neill said after a recent training camp practice at St. John Fisher College. “I’ve fulfilled my dream of playing in the NFL. It hasn’t gone the way I thought it would, but I am glad to be here.”

The long snapper is not one of football’s glamor positions. However, Neill understands that one bad play could not only ruin a game but cost him his job.

A long snapper, like the punter and placekicker, spends most of practice isolated from teammates. Unlike the wide receivers or running backs, crowds aren’t lined up to watch him snap to Brian Moorman or the holder for extra points and field goals.

“The first thing, he has to be accurate because that puts the kick in motion,” April said. “He’s also responsible for protecting the kicker or punter after the snap. He also has to be able to cover, so we need a guy who can be a strong defender, also.”

The 6-foot-3, 253-pound Neill, 26, entered this training camp with a bit of uncertainty as he and rookie Garrison Sanborn are battling for the long snapper roster spot.

Sanborn, 24, started long snapping at a young age and admitted that the skill helped give him an edge going to Florida State University out of the talent-laden Tampa area.

Like Neill, Sanborn was signed by the Bills as an undrafted free agent.

“It’s fun because we both push each other,” Sanborn said. “It makes it fun when you have another guy you can compete with like that.”

Neill made Buffalo’s 53-man roster in 2007 after spending the 2006 season on the practice squad. The Bills signed him as an undrafted free agent after the 2006 NFL Draft.

He played every game in 2007 as the long snapper and also saw time on the defensive line after a rash of injuries claimed several starters and other reserves, making 10 tackles and recovering a pair of fumbles. He also had 14 tackles on special teams.

Neill didn’t miss a game as the long snapper last season and added three special teams tackles.
“Ryan’s really worked hard to be a better snapper, and he is getting better all the time,” April said. “His protection and coverage are outstanding.”

Neill started 35 of 41 games at Rutgers before graduating in 2006. He had 176 tackles and 19 sacks, fifth all-time at the school, and was named team MVP his senior season.

His college career wasn’t just about sacks and personal accolades, however, as he took pride in being a key part of the program’s resurgence. Neill’s senior year ended with an appearance in the Insight Bowl in 2005, the Scarlet Knights’ first bowl game since 1978.

“When I got there we were as bad as you can be for Division I football,” Neill said. “We were able to build the program and get through some tough times. It was great to be a part of something like that.”

Neill didn’t have to look very far to find a football role model, as his father Bill Neill played nose tackle for the New York Giants in the 1980s. He says he has received plenty of advice from not only his dad but from plenty of his former teammates as well.

“It was a cool experience being around the guys that he played with,” Neill said about his father. “I just tried to learn as much as I could.”

Ryan made his own mark when he got to Wayne Hills High School in New Jersey. Wayne Hills went 33-3 in Neill’s three years as a starter, and he recorded 16 sacks and was named all-state his senior year.

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